Updated 12pm with details of driver

A police officer was injured on Wednesday in a hit-and-run in Marsa following a police chase of a wanted man. 

Police fired shots twice during the chase that began at around 7.15am when officers spotted the man, driving a Hyundai Lantra, on the road leading to Maltapost in Qormi.

It is understood the man involved in the hit-and-run was Keith Cremona, 34, who was wanted in relation to a minor drugs investigation and has a criminal history linked to theft. 

In 2019 he was found guilty of stealing cash from a gas delivery driver.

Keith Cremona soon after he was arrested by the police. Photo: Police Communications Unit

Police were on the lookout for him as he had failed to show up to sign a bail book at his local police station, sources said. 

Warning shots were fired at this stage and police cars used sirens and beacon lights to try to flag Cremona down but he continued driving.

At Marsa, his car hit a police officer who was in uniform on his personal bike. The injured officer was not part of the operation when he was hit. 

Cremona then continued to drive at high speed through Marsa. As he was driving towards MCAST, police fired more warning shots and also shot at the car tyres, deflating one of them.

The wanted man was driving this car when it struck a police officer on his personal bike. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

He continued driving on the car rim until he was slowed down by an unmarked Criminal Investigation Department car, which hit his car at the top of Sir Paul Boffa Avenue in Paola. He was then arrested. 

A police spokesman said that at least one other unrelated car was damaged in the chase.

Police fired warning shots and later shot at the hit-and-run driver's tyres. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The injured officer was taken to Mater Dei hospital where he was certified to have been slightly injured.

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri posted on Facebook that such incidents made society appreciate the importance and dangers of police work.